UP: Adityanath Govt Asks Lucknow Airport not to Allow Arrival of Chhattisgarh CM, Punjab Dy CM

Lucknow: The Uttar Pradesh government has requested the Lucknow airport authority not to allow the arrival of the Chhattisgarh chief minister and the Punjab deputy CM, who announced plans to visit Lakhimpur Kheri, in view of the violence that erupted there.

Eight people were killed on Sunday as violence erupted during a farmers' protest, claiming the lives of both farmers and ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) workers ahead of a visit to Lakhimpur by Uttar Pradesh Deputy Chief Minister Keshav Prasad Maurya.

"After the incident in Lakhimpur, the district magistrate has imposed prohibitory orders there to maintain law and order. It is requested that you should not allow Chhattisgarh CM and Punjab deputy CM at the CCS Airport in Lucknow," Additional Chief Secretary, Home, Awanish Kumar Awasthi said in a letter dated October 3 to the Airport Authority of India (AAI).

Baghel and Punjab Deputy CM Sukhjinder S Randhawa had announced that they would visit Lakhimpur on Monday. P

Akhilesh Yadav detained in Lucknow

Samajwadi Party (SP) president Akhilesh Yadav was detained on Monday as he sat on a dharna outside his Vikramaditya Marg residence in Lucknow after he was not allowed to go to Lakhimpur.

The SP chief had announced plans to visit Lakhimpur Kheri, where eight people were killed on Sunday as violence erupted during a farmers' protest ahead of a visit by Uttar Pradesh Deputy Chief Minister Keshav Prasad Maurya.

On Monday morning, security was beefed up outside his home and police trucks placed to block the road and restrict any movement, following which he sat on the dharna with party leaders Ram Gopal Yadav, MLC Anand Bhadauria and others.

Hundreds of party workers also gathered outside the house, and a heavy police force was deployed in the area.

"Vehicles are being run over those who raise their voices. We want the arrest of the minister and his son in the Lakhimpur incident," Akhilesh Yadav told reporters here.

A police jeep parked in front of the Gautam Palli police station near the place where Akhilesh Yadav sat on a dharna was set on fire allegedly by party workers.

SP leaders, however, claimed that the police torched their own vehicle. 

Priyanka Gandhi, Cong Leaders Reach Lakhimpur

Congress general secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra and other party leaders reached here early Monday, but alleged they were not allowed to meet the victims of the violence that erupted during a farmers' protest and claimed eight lives a day earlier.

Priyanka Gandhi, who is accompanied by party leader Deepender Singh Hooda among others, had to take alternative routes to reach the destination as heavy security was deployed on the main roads amid tension in the violence-hit region.

“We are waiting outside the Banbirpur village. We have been prevented by the police from entering. We have come here to meet the victims of the violence,” Congress national secretary Dheeraj Gurjar told PTI over the phone at 4.30 a.m.

Priyanka Gandhi's convoy was earlier briefly stopped by the UP Police officials in Lucknow, where the Congress general secretary had arrived on Sunday night, within a few hours of violence being reported during an anti-farm laws protest here.

Meanwhile, mobile internet services were suspended in parts of the violence-hit district, where restrictions under CrPC Ssection 144 -- which prohibits assembly of four or more people -- has also been imposed, according to officials.

Left Parties Slam BJP

In New Delhi, hitting out at the BJP after eight people were killed in violence in Uttar Pradesh's Lakhimpur Kheri during a farmers' protest, the Left parties on Sunday said such "barbarity" will not stop the movement.

The CPI(M), in a tweet, condemned the incident and said such "barbarity" will not stop the movement.

CPI(M) Politburo member Brinda Karat said that her party colleagues are going to Lakhimpur Kheri.

"Our comrades are going. I strongly condemn the incident. It is a shocking example of arrogance and hatred towards the farmers by BJP leaders.

"Farmers are fighting not for themselves but for India and food security. We stand with the farmers. The killing of four farmers is an unforgivable crime by the BJP government," she alleged.

CPI MP Binoy Viswam hit out at the BJP and said that people will take revenge for the "bullets" through the "ballot".

"Bullets for peasants, garlands for killers! Modi-Yogi raj is blood-thirsty raj. The people will take revenge on them through ballots. Sometimes ballots of the poor are more powerful than the bullets of the oppressors. Nothing can stop the farmers, They will fight, they will win," he tweeted.

AAP demands CBI probe

In New Delhi, the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) on Sunday demanded a CBI probe into Uttar Pradesh's Lakhimpur Kheri violence in which eight people, including four farmers, died after two SUVs allegedly ran over protesters.

Delhi chief minister and AAP convenor Arvind Kejriwal demanded that the perpetrators of "such a heinous crime" be given "strictest punishment".

The party's MP Sanjay Singh also demanded that "strictest punishment" be handed down to the "killers". He urged Prime Minister Narendra Modi to withdraw the "three black farm laws" against which farmers have been protesting for the last 10 months.

"A few days ago, (Union Minister of State for Home) Ajay Kumar Mishra had said in a statement that he would bring the protesting farmers on right track in two minutes,” he said.